St. Pauls Cathedral

City (EC4) A church has stood on this site since far back into Saxon times. The present St. Paul's is the third cathedral so named. At one period the popular meeting-place for men and women of fashion, old St. Paul's was three times set on fire by lightning, which in 1561 destroyed the great spire, which was never replaced. After the Great Fire of 1666 Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt the cathedral described as "that masterpiece of architectural art, which is the glory of our city." The beautiful carving of the choir-stalls is the work of Grinling Gibbons. There are many monuments on the ground-floor, and also in the crypt. The tombs in St. Paul's carry us a very long way back in the history of our land. In the crypt are those of many famous men: Sir Christopher Wren, Reynolds, Nelson, Picton, Turner, Wellington, Landseer, Cruikshank, Napier, Millais, Arthur Sullivan, Alma Tadema, Wolseley, and most recently, Sir Henry Wilson, etc.